William j



NITED rares WILLIAM J. MENZIES, OF ST. HELENS, COUNTY OF LANCASTER, ENGLAND:

MANUFACTURE AND PREPARATION OF POTASH SOAP.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,049,6lated October2, lSS.

Application filed August 23, 1883. (No specimens.)

been unfit for laundry, toilet, and other household and general purposes, for three reasons: first, that as a matter of fact they have been all of a strongly alkaline and corrosive nature, owing to the impure potash from which they have been made secondly, they have been largely made from fish-oil and strong-smelling seedoil, which made the soap unpleasant to use and imparted a strong smell to any article which was washed with it thirdly, the article has hitherto been packed in large kegs or packages, a small quantity out not be conveniently retailed or sold at stores for household use, (as in the case of hard soda or soap,) unless a can or jar was brought to receive it, owing to the soft nature of the soap.

Now, I have discovered that the first objection to potash soap for household use is entirely obviated by making the soap with caustic potash instead of wood-ashes, (which is now sold as a commercial article of considerable degree of purity,) and thus enabling a neutral or closely approaching to a neutral potash soap to be produced, which, with the old woodashes or carbonate of potash, was unobtainable, as pointed out in Letters Patent of the of which could,

United States No. 254,832, already granted to me.

The second objection can be overcome by using sweet-smelling oils, such as palm-oil; or the soap can be perfumed with essential oils, in the same manner as hard soap, which has never before been done. I

The third objection is obviated by putting up for household use in small and convenientsized metallic, glass, or earthenware, wood, or paper packages, the neutral potash soap, either made with sweet oils or perfumed, thus enabling a potash soap to come into general use for household and even toilet purposes, and for which purposes, when the difficulties I have pointed out are obviated in the manner I have described, is far superior V to soda soap.

WVhatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A potash soap made with sweet oils,without an excess of alkali, and perfume added thereto, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A potash soap made with sweet oils without excess of alkali, either with or without perfume, and packed in convenient-sized packages of glass, earthenware, metal, wood, or paper, substantially as and for the purpose described.

I11 witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM J. MENZIES. \Vitnesses:

Gno. H. SoNNnnonn, O. B. Monms. 

